NEW YORK, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Seth Berkley, M.D., President
and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI),
today issued the following statement in response to the UN
General Assembly approval of a Declaration of Commitment to
HIV/AIDS:
"The International AIDS Vaccines Initiative applauds the United
Nations General Assembly for reaching consensus on a
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. This new milestone in
international collaboration represents a long-needed first step
toward building a successful global response to the epidemic.
Many individuals from government and civil society have worked
diligently to make this declaration strong and inclusive and we
salute their efforts.
Strong Support for R&D
"With respect to AIDS vaccines, the final Declaration is a vast
improvement from earlier drafts, and includes a strong
political commitment to accelerate research and development,
especially for preventive technologies. IAVI welcomes the
establishment of a Global Health Fund. But the Fund must be
complemented by efforts to advance vaccine R&D through a
variety of bi-lateral and multi-lateral mechanisms, including
national vaccine research programs, public-private
partnerships, and tax incentives.
Need for Greater Commitment to Finance Vaccine Access
"The final Declaration still lacks a firm commitment to
providing AIDS vaccines to all who need them without delay.
This represents a missed opportunity for the nations of the
world to provide incentives for much needed private sector
investment in vaccine research and development, and to enable
governments and communities to prepare effectively for rapid
vaccine introduction.
"We recommend that the Global Health Fund will be used as a
vehicle to address vaccines access now. IAVI calls for a
specific AIDS vaccination sub-account, linked to strong
commitments for future financing, within this Fund. No funds
would be required now, but the creation of an account would
send a signal to the private sector that there will be a market
for their investments in AIDS vaccine research, and will signal
to the global community a commitment to learn from the world's
failure to plan for equitable and timely delivery of AIDS
treatments.
Vulnerable Groups
"When an AIDS vaccine is available, it must be provided to
those who are most at risk, including vulnerable groups such as
commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men and injection
drug users. Governments and others working with current
prevention and treatment efforts and those looking ahead to
future interventions, such as vaccines, must acknowledge the
need to specifically work with these groups.
"This Declaration represents an important step in bringing
world leaders together to confront the AIDS epidemic. As
discussions continue on the Global Health Fund, IAVI calls on
the nations of the world to increase their commitments to
treatment, prevention, mitigation of the consequences of the
epidemic and to long-term goals, such as vaccines, as critical
but not competing elements of a strategic approach to managing
-- and ultimately ending -- the pandemic."
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is an
international non-profit scientific organization founded in
1996 whose mission is to ensure the development of safe,
effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use
throughout the world. IAVI is a collaborating center of
UNAIDS. IAVI's major supporters include the Bill & Melinda
Gates, Rockefeller, Sloan and Starr Foundations, the World
Bank, and governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,
Canada, Ireland and the United States. More information is
available at http://www.iavi.org.
SOURCE International AIDS Vaccines Initiative Web Site:
http://www.iavi.org